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(No Model.)

J. H. BURKS.

- GAR BRAKE. No. 256.876. Patented Apr. 25, 1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

JEssE H. BURKS, OF L0s ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,876, dated April25, 1882.

Application filed July 22, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEssE H. BURKS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCar-Brakes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of carbrakes in which the momentum ofthe moving car is utilized to apply the brakes through the pressure onthe bufier and draw-head. I attain this object by the mechanismillustrated in the aceompanyin g drawings, in which-- Fi ure 1 is a sideview; Fig.2, an end view. Fig. is a sectional view of a hollow wheel orcylinder which encircles the front axle of the car. Figs. 4, 5, and 6illustrate a difl erent method of controlling the action of the brake oncars the axle of which is not heavy enough to bear the strain of themechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Through a slot in the bearing 71, which is made fast to the truckrbeam dof the car, passes an upright lever, 1 which is connected at its upperend with the rear end of the draw-bar k by means of the rod 0 and at itslower end with the brake-lever y by means of the rod a. The lever i isalso pivoted at a point above its center to the short lever a, which ispivoted between the jaws of the bearing h, and provided at its lower endwith a brake-shoe, a One end of the rod to is fastened firmly to thefront brake-beam, c, and the other end passes through or below the rearbrake-beam and connects with thelower end of the brake-levery.

The rod to is provided with a pin or shoulder, against which one end ofthe spiral spring 10 rests, the other end of the spriugrestin g againstthe rear brake-beam, thus pressing the brakebeams apart and keeping thebrakes from the wheels when not needed. The rod 0 is also provided witha spiral spring, a, one end of which rests against a shoulder on the rodand the other against the lever i, forming a cushion to receive thepressure from the draw-head. The axle m is provided with a hollow wheelor cylinder, j, a sectional view of which is shown in Fig. 3, where a isa sleeve made in halves and secured to the axle by bolts or otherwise.This sleeve is provided with lugs f and f, in which are hinged the armsf f. These arms or quadrants are provided with teeth or cogs on theirouter edge, which fit into similar cogs on the inner surface of thecylinder j, which is also made in halves and bolted together over thesleeve a. The quadrants f f are cast very light, except a segment nextthe axle, which is cast solid. When the car is at rest or moving at alow rate of speed these are held in the position shown in the drawingsby the spiral springs a"; but

when a speed of, say, four miles an hour has been attained, thecentrifugal force throws out the heavy part of the quadrants, and in sodoing causes the cylinder to move by means of the teeth 0 0. Now, itwill be seen that when the car is at rest or moving at a rate less thanfour miles an hour, the eyliuderj being held by the springs a in theposition shown in Fig. 2, any pressure on the draw-head will cause thelevers 'i and a to assume the positions shown by the dotted lines inFig. 1 withoutapplying the brakes; but when a speed of four miles anhour (or such speed as shall be deemed most advisable) has been attainedthe cylinderj moves to'a position in front of the brakeshoe a and if newpressure be applied to the draw-head, since the short lever a cannotmove backward its lower end, with its shoe a is caught against thecylinder j, the upper end of the lever t is forced back, and the lowerend moves forward, applying the brakes.

The face of the brake-shoe a? is slightly beveled, as is also itsbearing on the cylinder j, so that if the cylinder is once engaged itcannot return to it place till the pressure is removed; but as soon asthe pressure is removed from the draw-head the weight of the shoe a andthe force of the spring 20 at once release the brakes.

Fig.4. is a side view, and Fig.5 an end view, of a device forcontrolling the action of the lever 13 when the axle is not heavy enoughto bear the pressure of the lever a. The lever 2', instead ofbeingpivoted to a short lever, as in Fig. 1, has a pin passing through it onthe ends of which are the small rollers 6, running on cleats cast on thesides of the bearing h.

Hinged to the top of the front end of the IOC bearing h is a hook, h,with a slot correspondin g to the slots in the bearin g h. The arms ofthis hook pass between the leveri and the rollers '5", and,dropping downupon the bearing h, engage and hold in place the pin passing through thelever z".

To the front of the bearing h is hung the lever a, which is connectedwith the front end of the hook it, and is provided at its lower end withan anti-friction roller, (1 Now, when the caris at rest or moving at aslow speed the end of the cylinderj, Fig. 2, (which would be reversedupon the axle for that purpose,) would press against the roller a andhold it in the position shown by the dotted lines, Fig. 5,which bringsthe hook it to the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. In thisposition, when pressure is applied to the upper end of the lever 6 thelever simply moves back on the rollers and no pressure is brought tobear upon the brakes; but when a speed of four miles an hour has beenattained the cylinder by moving allows the lever a to drop to aperpendicular position and the hook h drops down, engagiug the pin whichpasses through the lever i. This lever, owing to the inclination of thecleats on which the rollers i move, always drops forward when thepressure is removed. In this position, as therollers cannot move whenpressure is applied to the upper end of the lever 0 the lower end isforced forward, thus applying the brakes.

I am aware that brakes have been constructed to operate by means of thepressure on the draw head. 1 therefore do not claim such brakes,broadly; but 7 What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

1. The upright lever 2', connected at its upper end with the draw-headand at its lower end with the brake-lever Y, and at some convenientpoint hung or pivoted to the short lever a.

2. The short lever a, hung in the bearing h, with its upper end attachedto the lever t and its lower end provided with a brake-shoe to operateagainst a wheel or cylinder on the axle, for the purpose set forth.

3. The hollowwheelj, provided onits inner surface with teeth or cogs,together with the toothed quadrant arms f f the spiral springs a and thesleeve a, arranged on the axle of a car and operating together for thepurpose set forth.

JESSE H. Bonus.

Witnesses:

J. W. HOLLINGSWORTH, R. A. LING.

